It is often desirable to connect terminals to the end of a length of flat cable in order that the cable may be temporarily and reversibly joined to another length of cable or some other electrical component. Commonly, a terminal housing is provided which fits over the end of the cable and contains a plurality of metal terminals, one for each of the conductors of the flat cable. The terminals are formed to include sharp contacts which pierce the insulation covering the flat cable and bite into the conductors enclosed therein when the housing is clamped onto or otherwise fastened to the end of the flat cable. This type of connection generally causes damage to the conductors and the insulation of the flat cable. If it becomes necessary to remove and replace one or more of the terminals, for example due to some defect in a terminal, the damage done to the end of the cable may make it impossible to attach a replacement terminal in a manner which provides a reliable connection.
Another known type of terminal connector is intended for use with a flat cable after the insulation has been stripped from the cable at the end thereof to expose the conductors. The stripped end of the cable is inserted into the terminal housing and a movable portion of the housing is squeezed shut to urge the conductors into planar contact with flat surfaces of terminals within the housing. Such connectors do not damage the conductors of the flat cable, but are usually prone to being inadvertently pulled off of the end of the cable, since the planar contact between the smooth surfaces of the conductors and the terminals does not provide sufficient friction to resist even a moderate degree of tension on the cable.